Miss Miranda Lowe

Biography

Education and Qualifications:

2009  MSc in Biological Recording: Collection & Management, Birmingham University & Field 

          Studies Council

2001  NEBS Introduction to Management (NVQ3), Lambeth College 

1991 Applied Biology, South Bank University

Career History:

2008 - Present  Senior Curator (Crustacea) Lower Invertebrates curation team, The Natural

                          History Museum, London (NHM)

2006 – 2007     (Part-time secondment) Gallery Interpretation Developer, Interpretation &

                          Design (PEG), NHM

1991 – 1992      Assistant Scientific Officer, Invertebrates Division 2 curation group, NHM

Professional Roles

Professional membership:

• Clapham Society (member of society and used as an role model for their International women’s week)
• Historical Biology (Refereeing papers for special edition 2008)
• Invertebrate Link (JBBCI) (Committee member & Zoology/Entomology Representative)
• Museums Association (member of scientific society)
• Natural Sciences Collections Association (Committee member & events coordinator)
• Porcupine Marine Natural History Society (member of scientific society)
• Prospect (Branch Committee member, Zoology departmental representative & branch TUS Rep.)
• Science, Technology & Engineering Network STEMNET (Science & Engineering Ambassador - volunteer)
• The Barbados Museum and Historical Society (member of scientific society)
• The Society for the History of Natural History (member of scientific society)

Teaching and Training Experience:

• Postgraduate workshop on Estuarine & Marine Littoral Taxonomy (Crustaceans), Canterbury Christchurch College, UK (2005)
• A’ Level ‘Behind the scenes’ sessions (Real World Science Project) – demonstrating with reference to the Crustacea spirit collections (2006 – Present)
• Biology Olympiad – teaching crustacean taxonomy to prepare A’ level students for this International competition
• Msc students from Imperial College – teaching curatorial techniques and environmental monitoring 

Public Understanding of Science:

Nature Live sessions (topics): Desert Island specimens, Wonderful Woodlice, It’s in the Blood: Horseshoe crabs, Name Game quiz, Blaschka Glass Model Project.

Members tours: to the Lower Invertebrate section highlighting the Crustacea collection and to the Zoology Blaschka collection/PCU

Public Outreach: NHM Wildlife Garden; Yellow book days & London Garden Squares weekends and STEMNET Science Ambassador Days in Schools

Fund Raising and Corporate Support:

VIP tours of Darwin Centre Phase 1 and Wandsworth for for Corporate Patrons, NHM members and other professional organisations 

Curation

Collections

General care, loans, curation and preservation of spirit, slide and dry collections for the Lower Invertebrate curation group mainly for Crustacea.

Respiriting and reorganisation of the collections; duties include databasing, accession and curation of new incoming and donated material.

Identification of peracarida as part of external consultancy work. Answering enquires and identifications relating to amphipods and isopods (includes terrestrial isopods) from the public and commercial organisations. 

Special projects

• Blaschka marine invertebrate glass model project: Preservation, conservation and exhibition of 180 marine invertebrate glass models made in the 18^th century by the now famous Blaschka family. Responsible for the models held in the Zoology Department. 
• Collections Standards project

Curatorial management

Collections management responsibility for the Lower Invertebrates Curation team who are also responsible for the Annelid, Echinoderm, Cnidaria and minor phyla collections.

Supervision of work experience students and volunteers to the Lower Invertebrate section. Also act as scientific mentor to visiting scientists to the Crustacea collections under the European Synthesys Programme.

Research

Darwin's barnacles

Publications

Publications

•         Miller C G & Lowe M, 2008. The Natural History Museum Blaschka Collections. Historical 

         Biology. Taylor and Francis Ltd.

•         Lowe M In Leigh C & Ware C 2003. The development of the flora, fauna and environment 

          of the Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum, London The London Naturalist. 82:

           75-134.

•         Bamber R N, Cabrinovic A, Clark P F, Glover A, Lowe M & Taylor J 2003.  Benthic analysis: 

          inshore environmental survey off Trinidad (5951), May 2003.  Report No. ECM 801G/03, 

         The Natural History Museum, London. 14pp  (D)  

•         R N Bamber, G A Boxshall, P F Clark, A Gill, M Lowe, A I Muir, R S Robbins & J Taylor, 

          2003. Benthos of the Peng Chau STW Upgrade Survey, Hong Kong. Natural History

          Museum Consultancy Report to Oceanway Corporation Ltd, No.ECM 831/03, March 2003, 

          9pp

•         Bamber R N, Chimonides P D J, Clark P F, Lowe M, Muir A I, Taylor J D, 2002. Benthic 

          analysis: oilfield environmental survey off Gabon (5900), Natural History Museum 

          Consultancy Report to Gardline Surveys, No.  ECM 801B/02, September 2002, 14pp

•         Bamber R N, Cabrinovic A, Chimonides P D J, Lowe M, Muir A I, Paterson G L J,Taylor J D, 

          2002. Benthic analysis: oilfield environmental survey, deep sea off Angola (5765). Natural 

         History Museum Consultancy Report to Gardline Surveys. No. ECM 800/02, August 2002, 

         50pp

•         Bamber, R N, Chimonides P D J, Clark, P F, Lowe, M, Muir, A I, Taylor, J & Whittall, A, 2000.

          Benthic analysis: Environmental Survey, Full Sicily-Lybia transect (5362). Natural History 

         Museum Consultancy Report No. ECM 680D/00, 56pp. June 2000.

•         Bamber, R N, Chimonides P D J, Clark, P F, Lowe, M, Muir, A I, Taylor, J, 2000. Benthic 

          analysis: Environmental Survey, Maltese Territorial Waters (5439). Natural History 

          Museum Consultancy Report No. ECM 680C/00, 28pp. June 2000.

Popular Publications

•         Lowe M & Miller C G, 2008. A scientific perspective on the acquisition and of display of The 

          Natural History Museum Blaschka Collections. Art forms of the ocean exhibition guide.

         National Glass Centre.

•         Lowe M. 2007. Woodlice wandering through the Wildlife Garden. Nature First Issue 49, 

          NHM. (Autumn) 

•         Lowe M. 2007. What’s it like to work at the Museum.  Second Nature Issue 21, NHM. (July) 

•         Lowe M. & Miller G. 2005. Sculpted in Glass. NHM: the magazine for supporters of the 

          Natural History Museum. Issue 6.